A SPECIALIST ward at a hospital has become the first to receive a new award recognising the ‘outstanding’ care provided by its nurses, healthcare assistants, doctors and support staff.

The gynaecology and breast ward at Burnley General Teaching Hospital is the first to be presented with a Safe Personal and Effective Care (SPEC) silver award from East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ELHT) chief nurse, Christine Pearson.

To earn the SPEC silver award, which is open to all East Lancashire Hospitals wards, the gynaecology and breast ward needed to achieve a ‘good’ rating during three, separate unannounced inspections as part of the Nursing Assessment and Performance Framework (NAPF).

NAPF was introduced by East Lancashire Hospitals in 2015 to assess the quality and safety of care being provided.

To inform patients and visitors they are being treated on a ward that consistently offers high quality care, a special plaque is now displayed at the entrance to the gynaecology and breast ward and ward staff wear exclusive ‘silver award’ badges.

For more information, visit ELHT's website.